Utah's Scenic Roads

IF YOU'RE GOING...

Travelers often embrace the vacation but weary of the drive there. Expect something different in Utah. Home to six of America's Scenic Byways, the Beehive State makes getting there a joy. In hours or days, visitors can travel along Utah's red sandstone, near forested mountain, or in areas once a haven for Mormon pioneers. Spring and summer offer the best weather. Information: www.byways.org.

Utah Highway 12 — 124 miles

Time to allow—1 to 3 days

Start/end points—Panguitch, near Bryce Canyon, and Torrey, near Capitol Reef

Highlights—Winds through three national parks

Dinosaur Diamond Prehistoric Highway — 512 miles

Time to allow—10 hours to 10 days

Start/end points—This loop through Utah and Colorado takes in Vernal and Dinosaur

Highlights—Runs along land that boasts a trove of fossils from the Mesozoic era